Apparatus for joining filaments to a tow

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for merging a small bundle of continuous filaments into a moving tow of filaments. The filaments to be added are merged and entangled by an air jet with a portion of the moving tow that has been temporarily separated from the main stream of the tow. After entanglement, the tangled mass strikes a guide which forces a movable support to give-way, allowing the loose end of the filaments to be added to be severed at a point close to the point of entanglement. This prevents the loose end from wrapping on a subsequent guide roll.

United States Patent 1 1 3,334,477 8/1967 Morin etal.

Berry, Jr. May 15, 1973 54] APPARATUS FORJOINING 3,380,135 4/1968 Wood etal. ..57 22 x FILAMENTS To A TOW 3,619,868 11/1971 Dibble ....57/22 UX Inventor: Walter C. ty, J Staumon, Va. 3,648,336 3/1972 Bevmgton, Jr. ..28/47 [73] Assignee: E. I, du Pont de Nemours and Com- Primary,ExaminerJ0hn Petrakes 'pany, Wilmington, Del. Attorney-Gary A. Samuels [22] Filed: 7 Nov. 4, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT PP 195,572 An apparatus for merging a small bundle of continuous filaments into a moving tow of filaments. The fila- 52 U.S. Cl. ..57/22 28/47 57/159 added are merged and by [51] Int. Cl. .....B65 h 69/06 jet with a portion of the moving tow that has been '[58] Field of Search ..57/22,23, 142,159; tempmrily Separated mm the main M the 23/47 tow. After entanglement, the tangled mass strikes a guide which forces a movable support to giveway, al- [56] Ref en Ci lowing the loose end of the filaments to be added to be severed at a point close to the point of entangle- UNlTED STATES PATENTS ment. This prevents the loose end from wrapping on a 2,648,890 8/1953 McDonald 2.57 22 ux Subsequent 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED W 1 73 INVENTOR WALTER C. BERRY. JR.

ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR JOINING FILAMENTS TO A TOW BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an apparatus for the production of synthetic filamentary tow and more particularly relates to a device for merging a moving bundle of filaments with a larger moving bundle of filaments without interruption of the movement of the larger bundle.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the manufacture of synthetic filamentary tow, the bundle of spun filaments produced from each of a multiplicity of. spinnerets is ordinarily combined into a larger bundle of filaments called a tow or rope. The tow form generally renders more convenient the further processing of the filaments to develop desirable tensile properties. Such processing may include drawing, crimping, drying, etc.

It is known that an additional bundle of filaments can be added to a moving aggregation of several of such bundles by 1 removingone of the moving, or running, bundles of the aggregation to an alternative, parallel path which includes a guide equipped with tangential air jet means, (2) stringinga new bundle to be added through the guide while taking it up with a sucker gun as described in the Miller US. Pat. No. 2,667,964, (3) simultaneously energizing the tangential jet of air to twist and entangle the two bundles of filaments and cutting the excess yarn of the new bundle (or loose end) to permit it to be carried forward by the running bundle and (4) returning the running bundle with the newly added bundle to the normal path of travel of the aggregation of bundles. Such a process is described in US. Pat. No. 2,648,890.

It has been found that occasionally the leading (cut) end of the newly added bundle will wrap on a forwarding roll. When this occurs, the entire aggregate usually wraps, and it is necessary to restring the entire machine. Such difficulty would be avoided if a means were provided to cut the new bundle close enough to the point where it is twisted into the running bundle that insufficient free end is available to wrap on a roll.

This invention provides an apparatus for automatically cutting a bundle of filaments being merged onthe-run with a running bundle of a filamentary tow, the proximity of the cut to the twisting entanglement of the two bundles being such that insufficient loose length of additional filaments remains to cause a wrap on forwarding rolls.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an apparatus for merging a continuous bundle of filaments with a continuously moving tow of filaments, which apparatus comprises means for guiding the merging bundle into close proximity with a portion of the tow, means for rapidly entangling the filaments of the merging bundle with the filaments of the portion of the tow, means for severing the loose ends of the merging bundle to cutoff the excess, and means to guide the merged filaments back into the path of the continuously moving tow;

the improvement which comprises: a guide mounted on a support that is reciprocally rotatable in the direction of the travel of the tow, said guide being positioned in the path of the merging bundle and said portion of the tow after they have been entangled; and at least one stationary knife-edge positioned to sever the loose end of the merging bundle after the entangled mass of filaments has contacted said guide causing said support to rotate until the path of the loose end of the merging bundle intersects said knife-edge at a point closely adjacent the point of entanglement.

Thus, the improvement is in the filament-severing means and comprises a guide mounted on a support which is reciprocally rotatable in the direction of tow travel past a stationary cutter that is in close proximity to the support so that by passing the filaments of the tow to one side of the guide and the filaments of the loose end of the merging bundle to the other and in front of the cutter, and .then tangling the two before they reach the guide, the tangle will strike the guide and force it to move the support thus causing the loose end to strike the cutter whereby it is severed at a point close to the tangle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of one embodiment of this invention mounted in proximity to a moving line of tow;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view taken as indicated on FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cutter means, illustrating the mounting of cutting edges therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the figures, a bundle of filaments 10 (typically the production of a single spinneret) is diverted from the running path of tow 11 and passed through guide 12. It then passes through twister guide 13 beneath both pin guides 14 and 15 and through guide 16 before returning to its normal path in tow l l. The new bundle of filaments 17, to be added, is carried by sucker gun 18 (only the nozzle of which is shown) through guide 12, twister guide 13 and under pin guide 14. The bundle does not, however, pass under pin guide 15 instead it passes over pin guide 15.

When a quick-opening air switch (not shown) is opened, admitting air through pipe 19 to twister guide 13, the filaments of the new bundle and the filaments of a portion of the tow are twisted and tangled sufficiently that the two groups of filaments cannot separate around pin guide 15. As the tangle 25 strikes pin guide 15, it forces bracket 20 to rotate against the restraint of spring 21 because pin guide 15 is rigidly affixed to bracket 20. The movement of bracket 20 causes the tangled mass of filaments to be carried into sharp edges 22 rigidly mounted in slotted holder 23. Slotted holder 23 is also rigidly mounted, usually to shaft 24.

It has been found that this automatic cutting means leaves 2 inches or less of free filaments beyond the tangle, which is not enough to cause roll wrap. The combined filaments 26 are returned to the main portion of the tow through guide 16.

The sharp edges 22 may conveniently be obtained by employing two razor blades as is depicted in FIG. 3.

The loose end of the bundle of filaments to be added can be held taut by sucker gun 18 to ensure a clean cut of the loose end. The whole operation takes but a few seconds, is simple and is easy to perform with any type of yarn.

The foregoing description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. The invention is not limited to the exact details shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an apparatus for merging a continuous bundle of filaments with a continuously moving tow of filaments, which apparatus comprises means for guiding the merging bundle into close proximity with a portion of the tow, means for rapidly entangling the filaments of the merging bundle with the filaments of the portion of the two, means for severing the loose ends of the merging bundle to cut off the excess, and means to guide the merged filaments back into the path of the continuously moving tow;

the improvement which comprises:

a guide mounted on a support that is reciprocally rotatable in the direction of the travel of the tow, said guide being positioned in the path of the merging bundle and said portion of the tow after they have been entangled; and at least one stationary knifeedge positioned to sever the loose end of the merging bundle after the entangled mass of filaments has contacted said guide causing said support to rotate until the path of the loose end of the merging bundle intersects said knife-edge at a point closely adjacent the point of entanglement.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said guide mounted on a support is in the form of a rigid pin. 

1. In an apparatus for merging a continuous bundle of filaments with a continuously moving tow of filameNts, which apparatus comprises means for guiding the merging bundle into close proximity with a portion of the tow, means for rapidly entangling the filaments of the merging bundle with the filaments of the portion of the two, means for severing the loose ends of the merging bundle to cut off the excess, and means to guide the merged filaments back into the path of the continuously moving tow; the improvement which comprises: a guide mounted on a support that is reciprocally rotatable in the direction of the travel of the tow, said guide being positioned in the path of the merging bundle and said portion of the tow after they have been entangled; and at least one stationary knife-edge positioned to sever the loose end of the merging bundle after the entangled mass of filaments has contacted said guide causing said support to rotate until the path of the loose end of the merging bundle intersects said knife-edge at a point closely adjacent the point of entanglement.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said guide mounted on a support is in the form of a rigid pin. 